Straw-burning furnace



(No Model.)

M.. LAFEVER.

STRAW BURNING FURNACE.

N0. 360,227. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

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MINARD LAFEVER, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

STBAW-BURNING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,227, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed December 29, 1886. Serial No. 222,926.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MINARD LAFEVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Burning Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in straw-burning furnaces and portable boilers of the locomotive type.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a furnace into which straw-fuel may be fed from the front of the furnace as well as in front of the fire, whereby convenience of feed is obtained while compelling the flame to pass through and over the straw in a direction opposite to that of the feed.

The invention consists in certain combinations, hereinafter particularly specified, and pointed out in the claims.

The drawing is a longitudinal section of a tubular boiler and furnace illustrating my i11- vention.

A is the boiler, of any approved construction, and A is the smoke-stack. The fire-box B for this boiler depends from and is located, as shown, at the end opposite the smoke-stack. It is provided with grate-bars (Z at the inner end of the same, and with a dead-p1ate, b, at that end next in front of the furnace. It is also provided with the usual spout, K, through which the straw is fed to the fire-box, and the spout is also provided with the usual self-acting swinging door, on.

E is the ash-pit below the furnace, and it is provided with a gate or door, H, at the inner end thereof, which is operated through a handrod, P, to regulate the draft of the furnace. The ash-pit is also provided with a door, I, which may be opened for cleaning the same. There is also provided a door, J, for access to the upper part of the combustion-chamber for observation and other purposes. To obtain the best results within a given space, and to extend the combustion-chamber, I provide a water-leg, G, which extends backward from the lower part of the boiler or flue-sheet C, to deflect the products of combustion toward the (No model front of the furnace and direct them to the crown-sheet and diffuse them before they strike the flue-sheet O. In order, also, to further extend the length of passage of the products of combustion, I introduce a deflecting-plate, F, at the heel or rear part of the water-leg, as shown. This plate may be hollow, and may be perforated for the admission of either hot or cold air to supply combustion. The deadplate 1) extends well into the furnace, as shown, to afford a large platform for the light fuel within the firechamber, so that it may be heated and dried before ignition. The draft to my furnace being from beneath the boiler in direction opposite to that of the feed, the dead-plate prevents any draft through the body of straw as it enters the furnace. In this way I am able to obtain regular and much more complete combustion of the straw-fuel within my furnace than would otherwise be the case. The draft, being in an opposite direction to that of the feed, must carry the flame toward and over the straw to escape, and thus avoid smothering or choking of the fire incident to the necessarily rapid feeding of this kind of fuel. The ash'pit, being provided with open" ings at both ends, permits the ashes to be forced out through opening II underneath the boiler and away from the supply of inflammable fuel in front of the furnace, thereby avoiding danger of accidental ignition of the fuel in front of the furnace.

By the construction and arrangement shown and described, a safe and effective furnace for burning straw, chaff, and other light fuel is provided. The feed is through the front or usual opening in furnaces of this kind, while the draft and clearance for the ashes is at a point opposite and beneath the boiler. The draft through the furnace meets the straw or chaff, and the products of combustion pass around the water-leg and deflecting-plate and impinge against the crown-sheet, and thence through the flues, better combustion being obtained, and a much lower temperature of gases escaping at the smoke-stack than with other straw-burners known to me. This fnrthermore reduces the danger from sparks to a minimum.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with a portable boiler,

of a furnace for burning straw, provided with a feed-spout at the front having automatic swinging door, and a draft-opening through the ash box at and below the rear end of the firechamber, and an extended dead-plate across the front of the fire-chamber, as described.-

2. The combination, in a portable boiler-furnace, of afeed spout or opening at the front having an automatic swinging door, an extended dead-plate below and adjacent thereto, a grate beyond the dead-plate, and a single draft-opening to the rear end of and below the fire-chamber through the grate, as herein described.

3. The combination of a portable boiler provided with a deflecting water-leg, G, arranged as shown, and a furnace having a deflectingplate extending backward from said waterleg, and having a draft through the rear end of the fire-chamber and ash-box around the same to the flues, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of a portable boiler having a water-leg, and a furnace having a draft from below and at the rear end of the firechamber beneath the boiler, a feed-spout at the opposite end and in front of the apparatus, and a dead-plate adjacent to the feed-opening, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MINARD LAFEVER.

Witnesses:

C. E. KOLB, A. G. HIGHAM. 

